I really wish I could say I've never played the game, but I have. There have been plenty of times where I was lost in school, or just looked over someone else's notes, or even read a summary of a chapter I didn't read online. It's true that many students get by just by showing up and handing in a paper they did in 20 minutes, or for math, answers they copied from a friend. It's like no one cares anymore; they just want to get through it, even if it's just barely, with as little work and strain as possible.
What really saddened me was the quote "by the middle of first grade, they've already figured out that school -or at least homework- is a trick, something to learn to get around". I just find it really depressing that kids figure it out so early on and therefore don't get to really learn much at all! They're already beginning the process of memorizing when they should be discovering new ideas or exploring their own thoughts and imaginations! It's really disheartening to me personally, because I remember being in elementary school and actually learning and discovering new things for myself and I also know what it's like to just go through the motions... to be honest, I'd rather learn and explore! Yet these kids have given up that opportunity to take a shortcut and get a fast pass into robotism.
What really saddened me was the quote "by the middle of first grade, they've already figured out that school -or at least homework- is a trick, something to learn to get around". I just find it really depressing that kids figure it out so early on and therefore don't get to really learn much at all! They're already beginning the process of memorizing when they should be discovering new ideas or exploring their own thoughts and imaginations! It's really disheartening to me personally, because I remember being in elementary school and actually learning and discovering new things for myself and I also know what it's like to just go through the motions... to be honest, I'd rather learn and explore! Yet these kids have given up that opportunity to take a shortcut and get a fast pass into robotism.